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Facebook is easy to use once you get the hang of it. After learning a few simple rules about how to get around on the social networking site, getting to and from your own profile or that of a friend will take just a few seconds. Whenever you get a new message or other notification, just click on the red flag in the top left corner of any Facebook screen to see its details.

News Feed

The Facebook News Feed is located on the site's home page, and contains some of the most recent posts by people on your friends list. You can choose to see the most recent posts at the top of the news feed, or posts Facebook considers to be highlighted first, followed by most recent posts. Use the "Sort" link at the top of the News Feed to select your sorting choice. In either case, scroll down the screen see older posts and click on a friend's name to be directed to her profile. To see a real-time list of every action your friends take, such as commenting on others' photos or liking a post, look to the ticker in the top right corner of the home page.

Profiles

You can get to another user's profile by clicking on her name anywhere on Facebook. This might include on your own profile, a friend's profile or a business's page. Once on a profile, scroll downwards to see older posts, as new posts are always at the top. Profiles with the Timeline view also offer a list of years on the right side of the profile -- click on a year to open its posts. Use the "Info," "Photos," "Friends" and any other links just under a user's profile picture to see the various screens associated with her profile. Click the "Add Friend" link at the top of a profile to initiate a friend request.

Search

Searching for a specific person is possible using the "Search" field at the top of any Facebook screen. If the person for whom you are looking does not appear in the short list of results, click on the "See more results" link at the bottom of the list and then the "People" link under Search Filters. You can narrow down your search even further using the Location, Education and Workplace search tools at the top of your search results.

Posting

You can post a status update to your own profile from the home page or your own profile. Click inside the "What's on your mind?" field at the top of either screen and enter your post. The icon immediately to the left of the Post button is called the audience selector, and provides a drop-down menu for you to select who is allowed sees each individual post. Click "Post" to submit the update to your profile. Use the "Write something" field at the top of any friend's profile to submit a post to her wall, or type inside the "Write a comment" field beneath an existing post to add your own response.

About the Author

Lara Webster has been writing professionally since 2009. Her work has been featured on Relationships in the Raw, The Nursery Book, Spark Trust and several travel-related websites. Webster holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in mass communication and media studies, both from San Diego State University.

Photo Credits

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images News/Getty Images

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Webster, Lara. "Guide to Maneuvering on Facebook." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/guide-maneuvering-facebook-33962.html. Accessed 25 May 2019.

Webster, Lara. (n.d.). Guide to Maneuvering on Facebook. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/guide-maneuvering-facebook-33962.html